Not Just Another Birthday
by D7Victor
Summary: Joniss one-shot: After being retrieved from the Capitol, Johanna is in the hospital still recuperating from injuries. No one really visits her except one day when a group of well-known faces visit her for a surprise birthday gathering. Katniss gives her one special gift that she will hold onto forever. Inspired by several submissions at jonissheadcanons via tumblr.


Another day, another month, another year. Ever since the games, Johanna watched time pass with tired eyes. It was just one of the many consequences of surviving the Games. Her sleep was haunted with the images of the children that were in the arena with her, the Quarter Quell, and the torture she faced in the Capitol. President Snow finally managed to instill fear in her. He took her family, friends, house, and any comfort she may have had left. And every night her body reminded her of this and she feared having more taken from her.

She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the morphling pushed through her veins. The drug made her relax and sedated her enough to force sleep but in the end it never mattered. The nightmares still happened and her body still felt exhausted when she woke up hours later. They had been worse lately due to the doctor's attempt to wean her off the morphling.

As she lay in the silence that she had come accustomed to, a rustling sound and a bunch of low voices came from outside the closed door. Her eyes bore into the metal and her body tensed. The door slide open slowly and on the other side stood a group of people.

"Happy birthday!" The loud, unison cheer made Johanna jump. As everyone filed into the room, she noticed they were all wearing makeshift party hats and carrying wrapped gifts.

"What is this? How did you know it was my birthday?"

Haymitch placed his hand on Katniss' shoulder. "Prim was peaking over your medical record and noticed it was your birthday. Katniss here decided we should all come and cheer you up with a small celebration."

Everyone placed the gifts at the end of the bed as Johanna sat up slowly, Mrs. Everdeen helping support her weak and sore body. Prim handed her the first gift and she pulled the thin paper away. It was a picture of the District Seven forests.

"I found that in a random file." Plutarch appeared from behind everyone. "Happy birthday, Johanna. Coin demands me back in the operations room." He left as soon as he arrived. Johanna looked at the picture and sadness rolled over her. The forests probably did not look like this anymore; they were likely burned up. She hoped her district was fighting back against the Capitol.

The presents continued. Finnick and Annie gave her a knotted monkey's fist. Beetee told her about an axe prototype he was working on. Her eyes widened with excitement at the details. Haymitch gave her a flask. She quickly opened it.

"This is empty."

"Welcome to the prohibition." The man looked scruffier than usual but he seemed pleasant now and no longer reeked of alcohol.

"Thanks… I guess." She put the useless flash aside as Prim handed her the next gift.

"This one is from me." The girl smiled at her and Johanna smiled back weakly. It was a knitted hat. "I figured your head might get cold since it is shaved now."

"It has been a little drafty up there." Everyone seemed a little taken aback by her nice reply but Johanna smirked as she pulled the beanie over her almost bare head. It was gray like everyone else's and the sweater Mrs. Everdeen brought her was navy blue just like the others. They were warm though and the sweater reminded her of the cold weather back in Seven.

Gale's present was a small wooden ball. Johanna turned it around in her fingers. "I was in your district a few days ago and we looked around your house. I saw that and the framed picture in that wrapping on your mantle. They were the only things I could find."

The wooden ball was the traditional token that tributes from her district took. This was the one she took into her Games. And she knew exactly which picture Gale brought back because there were no other pictures in her house. There were no other decorations at all. The wrapping pulled away easily and she looked down at her family. Mother, father, three older brothers, and one younger sister.

"Leave." She looked up at everyone in the room. "Thanks for the gifts but leave, now." Her voice deepened but everyone finally complied and left the room. Everyone except for Katniss.

"You know he was just trying to be nice." Katniss stood next to her bedside.

"Just leave. I don't want to be near anyone right now."

"Not yet. You have one more gift. I made it for you." The brunette placed a small cardboard box on Johanna's lap before heading towards the door.

Johanna opened the box with shaking hands and found a wood carved axe charm connected to a piece of thin rope. She looked up to see Katniss still standing in the doorway. "You made this?"

"I didn't know what else to get you so I made that. It took several tries but I finally got it right. Carving is more difficult than I thought."

"That's why they leave it to the lumber district." Johanna looked back down at the charm and teared up. No one had ever carved something for her. It had been years since anyone remembered her birthday. Katniss once again proved herself to be the perfectly good person that she was.

Tears fell from Johanna's eyes and she was soon crying into her fists as she clutched the axe charm.

"Johanna?" The brunette walked carefully over to the hospital bed and placed her hand on the girl's knee. "Did I do something wrong? Do you hate it? I'm sorry if you hate it. Carving is really hard and I only had a few days to learn in my spare time."

"No." Johanna looked up at Katniss with swollen red eyes. "I like it." She pulled the necklace on over her hat and head and watched it dangle for a few seconds off her neck. Her brown eyes looked back up at Katniss. "No one has ever cared this much about me after I lost my family. No one bothers to care about me since no one likes me, and then you did this. You brought people here for my birthday and made me this." She clutched at the charm and smile through the tears still dripping from the corners of her eyes. "I like it. Thank you, brainless."

Katniss smiled with relief and satisfaction but still managed to look humble in Johanna's eyes. "I'm glad you like it." She started walking out of the room but turned around before shutting the door. Their eyes met for a minute as they stared at each other, understanding the pain and suffering each of them had gone through. "Get some sleep, Mason. Happy birthday." She closed the door and left.

Johanna slowly lay back in the bed as she gripped tightly at the charm. Katniss gave her hope that the rebellion would be a success and that life would get better soon. As her eyes closed from exhaustion and her body fell into sleep, she held the covers and necklace close to her. This was not just another birthday, this was the day she felt a tiny bit of hope again.


End file.
